Display panel with raster scanning means

ABSTRACT

A display panel includes a plurality of gas-filled glow cells including means for scanning the cells in raster fashion with unique starting means for initiating the scanning operation and with means at the end of the scanning operation for energizing the starting means.

United States Patent [191 Glaser et al.

Nov. 5, 1974 DISPLAY PANEL WITH RASTER SCANNING MEANS Inventors: DavidGlaser, Green Brook; George A. Kupsky, Milford, both of NJ.

Assignee: Burroughs Corporation, Detroit,

Mich.

Filed: Feb. 16, 1973 Appl. No.: 333,424

Related US. Application Data Continuation of Ser. No. 223,039, March 2,1972, abandoned, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 38,408, Aug. 18,1970.

US. Cl. 315/169 R, 313/1095 Int. Cl. H01j 17/04 Field of Search 315/169;313/109.5

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,933,648 4/1960 Bentley 1.315/169 Primary Examiner-John Kominski Attorney, Agent, or FirmKennethL. Miller; Robert A. Green 5 7 ABSTRACT A display panel includes aplurality of gas-filled glow cells including means for scanning thecells in raster fashion with unique starting means for initiating thescanning operation and with means at the end of the scanning operationfor energizing the starting means.

13 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures ,345 34c /7OD OA 08 %0 E DISPLAY PANEL WITHRASTER SCANNING MEANS This is a continuation of application Ser. No.223,039, filed Feb. 2, 1972, now abandoned, as a continuation of Ser.No. 38,408, filed Aug. 18, 1970.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Display panels comprising a plurality ofgas-filled display cells are found in the art. However, these panels aregenerally not commercially feasible devices. The present inventionrelates to display panels in which the display cells can be scanned inraster fashion with unique scan-starting means being provided. The priorart provides no teaching of such a panel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, a display panel embodying theinvention comprises a plurality. of display cells and electrode meansfor scanning through the cells in series and for initiating the scanningoperation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a prospective exploded view of adisplay panel embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the panel of FIG. 1 as sembled;

FIG. 3 is a prospective exploded view of a modifica tion of the panel ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the panel of FIG. 3 assembled;

FIG. 5 is a prospective exploded view of another modification of theinvention, and;

FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of a display panel embodying theinvention and a circuit in which it may be operated.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The display panels describedherein are thin, flat, sheet-like members which may have substantiallyany desired size and shape from, for example, postage stamp size to wallsize, and they may include substan tially any number of display cells.The panels may also include any suitable ionizable gas such as neon,argon, xenon, etc., singly or in combination, with a vapor of a metalsuch as mercury usually included in the gas to minimize cathodesputtering. The gas used is preferably a Penning mixture in which thegases of the mixture have related energy levels such that the metastableatoms of one gas produce ions of the other gas. Neon and xenon comprisea particularly effective Penning mixture. The gas pressure is preferablybetween 100 to 250 Torr, and, more particularly, about 175 Torr.

In the following description of the invention, different numbers ofcells may be shown in the various figures for illustrating differentaspects of the invention. For example, where panel structures are shownas in FIG. 1 it is convenient to show a relatively small number ofcells. Where a panel is shown schematically in a circuit as in FIG. 6, alarger number of cells can be shown conveniently.

Referring to FIG. 1, a display panel 10 embodying the invention includesa first insulating bottom plate 20 of glass, ceramic, or the like havinga plurality of parallel slots or channels 30 (A,B,C, etc.) formed in thetop surface 40 thereof. The slots 30 may have any suitablecross-section, and, for purposes of description, they are considered tobe oriented horizontally. A second group of vertical slots 34 are alsoformed in the top surface 40 and these interconnect horizontal slots 30.Not all of the slots 34 are required for one mode of panel operation tobe described below. Plate 20 also includes an auxiliary slot 30A in theupper left-hand corner as seen in FIG. 1, which extends from the leftedge 2600f plate 20 into the first vertical slot 34A.

Electrodes 60 (A, B, C, etc.), preferably wires used as scanning anodesin one mode of operation, are

seated in slots 30. An auxiliary anode wire anode 60A is disposed inslot 30A, and it extends into the first vertical slot 34A and into theportion 34A thereof which lies between horizontal slot 30A and the upperedge 250 of plate 20. Electrode 60 and 60A may be secured in place bymeans of a suitable cement (not shown), if desired.

Electrodes (A, B, C, etc.) used as scanning cathodes are'seated on or inthe top surface 40 of plate 20. The cathode electrodes 70 are preferablyflat strips, and each has a series of holes or apertures 74. Thecathodes are oriented vertically, parallel to each other, overlayingvertical slots 34, and they are oriented at an angle, preferably 90, tothe anode electrodes 60, so that each cathode electrode 70 crosses eachanode electrode 60 and each crossing defines a scanning cell (FIG. 2). Acathode aperture 74 is located at each crossing and each cell 80. Eachsuch electrode crossing is also at a crossing of a slot 30 and a slot34. Each cathode 70 thus lies along a column of cells 80, and each anode60 lies along a row of cells 80. In addition, each column of cathodeapertures lies along a column of cells 80, and each row of cathodeapertures, defined by adjacent cathodes, lies along a row of cells 80.Thus, each scanning cell 80 is made up of a portion of an anode 60, theassociated portion of cathode 70 above it, and the volume of gas in slot30 between these electrode portions.

The scanning cells 80 are identified by the anode and cathode whichcross them. Thus, the auxiliary cell associated with electrodes 60A and70A is cell 80A'A', and the asociated first scanning cell in the firstrow having electrodes 60A and 70A is cell 80AA', the second in the samerow is 80AB, the third is 80AC, etc. The last cell in the last row is80ED'.

According to the invention, the first cathode strip 70A is split in theregion which lies between slot 30A and slot 303 to provide a first shortportion 70A and an elongated portion 70A. The first portion 70A overliesvertical slot portion 34A and extends from between slots 30A and 30B toand beyond upper edge of the plate 20 and through the panel seal to bedescribed. Cathode portion 70A has a cathode aperture 74 overlying slot30A at cell 80AA. Cathode portion 70A extends from a position spacedfrom but close to portion 70A between slots 30A and 308 to the loweredge of the plate 20 and through the panel seal area. It is to be notedthat, with this arrangement, cathode 70A is in operative relation withanode 60A and anode 60A to, in effect, couple together auxiliary cell80A'A' and the first scanning cell SOAA' in the first scanning row. Inactuality, cell 80A'A' and cell 80AA' are one large cell.

The last cathode strip 70A at the right-hand edge of plate 20 is alsosplit to include a first long portion 70D which extends from the upperedge of plate 20' to between slots 30D and 30E and a short portion 70Dwhich extends from between slots 30D and 30E across slot 30D to thelower edge of the plate 20. Cathode portion 70D includes an aperture 74overlaying slot 30E and cell 80ED. Cathode 70D and 70D are close to butspaced and insulated from each other.

In one form of the invention, the panel is completed by a cover viewingplate 90 of glass or the like. In the completed panel 10, the plates 20,90 and the various electrodes are hermetically secured together by aseal 100 formed along their adjacent edges by any suitable means such asa fused glass frit, for example, Pyroceram or the like. The gas used inpanel 10 is introduced in any suitable manner, for example, by means ofa bell jar or by means of a tubulation 103 (shown only in FIG. 2),secured to bottom plate 20.

In a modified panel 10 which represents an alternative construction ofthe panel 10 described above, the electrodes 60 and 70 are reversed inposition, with the anode wires 60 being on the top surface of aninsulating plate and with the cathodes 70 being adjacent to the bottomsurface, between the bottom surface and a bottom cover plate 57. Theplate 20 has a plurality of holes or cells 61 which comprise thescanning cells, with the first cell 61 being enlarged to accommodateauxiliary anode 60A and cathode 70A, as described above. The cathodesare considered to be oriented vertically, each aligned with a column ofscanning cells 61, and the bottom surface of plate 20 is provided withhorizontal slots 63 which are aligned with rows of cells and whichprovide gas communication paths between the cathode electrodes. Verticalgas communication paths 34, similar to slots 34 in panel 10, areprovided in the bottom surface of plate 20, but these are shown only atselected locations for a purpose to be described. Panel 10 also includestop plate 90.

The primary differences between panels 10 and 10' is that in panel 10cell glow is viewed through a cathode hole and is thus somewhatobstructed and in panel 10 a viewer can see almost all of the cellitself with the small diameter anode wire providing substantially noobstructive effect. Of course, in panel 10 the cathode holes can be madeas large as desired, however the need to provide cathode holesrepresents an economic deterrent to this construction. In panel 10,cathode holes are not required. For all practical purposes, either panelis satisfactory for most applications, however the arrangement shown inpanel 10 is preferred in a panel 105 to be described below. For thisreason the following description of the operation of the invention isdirected specifically to panel 10.

In the description of the operation of the invention set forth below,reference is made to scanning" or glow transfer from cell to cell. Theexact mechanism by which this operation occurs is not known for certain;however, it may involve actual transfer of a mass of glowing ionizedgas, or the diffusion of excited particles including metastable stateswhich facilitate a new firing of an OFF cell, or both mechanisms may beinvolved.

In operation of the panel 10 and to execute a raster scanning operation,operating potentials (generally positive) are applied to the auxiliaryanode 60A and to cathode 70A (generally negative) of cell 80AA, with allother anodes and cathodes held at suitable nonoperating potentials. Thecell fires and the gas glows primarily in the vicinity of the electrodes60A and A in slot 34A. In effect, this glow performs a keepalivefunction and provides excited particles to facilitate the start of theactual scanning cycle. To start the scanning cycle, operating potentialis switched from anode 60A to the first scanning anode 60A, with thepreviously applied potential still applied to the cathode 70A. Glow nowswitches to the area where electrodes 60A and 70A cross, at cell AA, andthis glow is visible through hole 74 in cathode portion 70A. Now, thescanning cells 80 are scanned, that is turned on, one at a time inraster-type fashion, beginning with the first cell 80AA at the upperleft-hand corner of the plate 20, and the scanning operation proceedsfrom cell to cell along the top row to the right-hand end, from which itproceeds directly vertically to the next adjacent row and to the lastcell therein, from which it proceeds to the left along the second row tothe first cell at the end of the second row, and then downwardly to thefirst cell in the third row, and from there to the end of the third row,and so forth, to the last cell in the plate 20.

More specifically, after operating potential is switched from anode 60Ato 60A and glow switches from cell 80AA to the vicinity of anode 60A andcathode 70A of cell 80AA, next, operating potential is switched fromcathode 70A, and it is applied to the second cathode 70B. Now, thesecond cell in the first row, cell 80AB, turns on, and cell 80AA turnsoff. This switching of the cathode operating potential from one cathodeto the next is carried out until the glow reaches the last cell 80AD inthe first row. This transfer of glow along the first row of cells isfacilitated by the common horizontal slot 30, in which these cells arelocated and in which excited particles can diffuse from an ON cell tothe adjacent cell to be fired. With the last cathode 70D still carryingits operating potential, positive operating potential is applied to thesecond anode 60B associated with the second row of scanning cells, and,at the same time, operating potential is removed from anode 60A. Thiscauses the glow to transfer from the last cell in the first row to theadjacent last cell in the second row. This operation is facilitated bythe presence of a vertical slot 34 between these last cells in the firstand second rows.

Now, with the operating potential again applied to each of the cathodesin turn, but in the reverse order beginning at the right-hand end andproceeding to the left-hand end of the panel, the glow is transferred bymeans of slot 30 toward the left along the second row of cells 80. Whenthe glow reaches the last or left-most cell in the second row, operatingpotential is switched from anode 60B to anode 60C, and the glow transferthrough the associated slot 34 to the first cell 80CA in the third rowof cells. The scanning operation is now again carried out to the rightalong the third row. In this way, the scanning operation is carried outcell by cell and row by row through all of the cells 80. As the scanningoperation takes place, the glow generated as each cell is turned on isvisible through top plate 90.

When the glow reaches cell 80ED, with operating potentials applied toanode 60E and cathode 70D, current flow through this cell can be used toautomatically apply operating potentials to electrodes 60A, and 70A tofire cell 80AA and to prepare the panel for another scanning operation.

It is to be noted that the application of switching potentials to thecathodes and the interconnection of the cathodes to effect economies canbe carried out in the manner described and claimed in copendingapplication Ser. No. 850,984, filed Aug. 18, 1969.

It is clear that the above-described operation can be carried out in thesame way in panel The plate and its electrodes may also be incorporatedin a display panel of the type described in application Ser. No.850,984. This type of panel 105, shown in FIG. 5, includes, seated onplate 20, a second insulating plate 110, of glass, ceramic, or the likehaving a plurality of apertures or cells 120 arrayed in rows andcolumns. The cathode electrodes 70 are disposed between plate 110 andthe top surface of plate 20, with each aperture or cell 120 aligned witha cathode aperture 74 and with a cell 80 beneath it. Cells 120 comprisedisplay cells in panel 105. Electrodes 70 may be seated in slots (notshown) in the bottom surface of plate 110, if desired, as described incopending application Ser. No. 6,839 filed on Jan. 29, 1970.

It is to be noted that the cells 80 are in a layer, and cells 120 are ina layer above the layer of cells 80, and the rows and columns of cells120 are aligned with the rows and columns of scanning cells 80, witheach cell 120 positioned above a cell 80.

An array of wire electrodes 130, used as display anodes, are seated onor in the top surface 122 of plate 110, with each generally aligned withand overlaying a row of holes 120 therein. The electrodes 130 need notbe centered over the holes; they need only communicate with the gas inthe holes. Thus positioned, electrodes 130 are parallel to and arealigned, each with one wire electrode 60 in plate 20.

A transparent cover on viewing plate 140 of a dielectric material suchas glass completes the panel and is seated on center plate 110. The wireelectrodes 130 might be seated in slots in the bottom surface of topplate 190, if desired.

The various insulating plates 20, 110, and 140 and the variouselectrodes of panel 105 are secured together hermetically along theedges of the panel by a seal 150 made of a glass frit or the like. Thevarious electrodes, of course, are also secured in this seal area andproject beyond the seal so that circuit connections can be made thereto.

It can be seen that a vertical flow path is provided from each bottomscanning cell 80 in plate 20 to each upper display cell 120 in plate 110through the holes 74 in electrodes 70. Holes 74 should be small, e.g., 1to 3 mils in diameter, to prevent spurious glow transfer from a scanningcell to a display cell. l-Ioles of this size permit diffusion of excitedparticles which facilitate the desired glow transfer.

In operation of panel 105, as the scanning of cells 80 is carried outfrom cell to cell, as described above, if a generally positivepotential, for example of the order of 150 volts, is applied to theproper display anode 130 as a particular cell 80 glows, glow istransferred upwardly into cells 120 in insulating plate 110 from eachcell 80 as it is turned on. As the entire array of cells 80 is scanned,selected corresponding display cells 120 can be fired in this way, bymeans of positive potentials applied to anodes 130. These positivepotentials or signals may be information or data signals from a computeror other such system. If the scanning and display operations are carriedout at a sufficiently high rate, a stationary character or message canbe displayed in the cells 120 and viewed through plate 140.

Another type of panel and mode of operation in which memory can beachieved, according to the principles of the present invention, isdescribed and claimed in a concurrently filed application of Glaser andKupsky entitled Display Panel Having Memory.

As noted above, an economical arrangement for performing a scanningoperation is described and claimed in copending application Ser. No.850,984 of Ogle and H012. This mode of operation is described hereinrelatively briefly with reference to FIG. 6 which is a schematicrepresentation of plate 20, anodes 60, and cathodes 70, with a largernumber of cells 80 shown in FIG. 6 than in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 also includesportions of a circuit for scanning cells 80 in accordance with theteaching in the above-mentioned application. In the circuit of FIG. 6,the cathode electrodes are connected in three groups as shown, althoughmore than three groups could be formed. The groups of cathodes areconnected to separate driver or switching circuits 300A, 3008, 300C. Thescanning anode electrodes 60 are connected in two groups, with theodd-numbered anodes being in one group, and the even numbered anodesbeing in the other group. Separate anode driver or switching circuits310A and 310B are connected to the two groups of anodes. These anode andcathode driver circuits operate either to apply operating potentials ornon-operating potentials to the various electrodes.

According to the invention and referring to auxiliary cell AA', thecathode 70A thereof is connected to its own driver or switching circuit320, and the anode 60A is connected to its own anode driver or switchingcircuit 330. In addition, the last cathodes, in this case numbered 70]and 70.1, although separate, are connected to the same cathode switchingcircuit 300C.

In performing a scanning operation, as described above, drivers 320 and330 are switched on to fire cell 80A'A'. Then anode driver 310A isswitched on, and anode driver 330 is switched off to fire cell 80AAwhich, as described, is an extension of cell 80A'A'. Next, the scanningoperation is carried out from cell to cell in the first row bymaintaining operating potential on anode 60A and, as described in Ser.No. 850,984, by operating cathode drivers 30A, B, and C successively toswitch operating potential from cathode 70A to cathode 70B, then fromcathode 70B to cathode 70C, with each OFF cathode being raised togenerally positive non-operating potential. This switching operationcauses the glow to switch from cell 80AA' to cell 80AB, to cell 80AC,etc., until it reaches the last cell 80A] in the first row. This glowtransfer operation is facilitated by the gas communication path providedby slot 30A, as described in detail in the above-identified applicationSer. No. 850,984.

As described with respect to panel 10, when the last cell in the firstrow is reached, the anode switching circuits 310A and 310B are reversedso that generally positive potential is applied to the anode 60Bconnected to switching circuit 310B and it is removed from the firstanode 60A connected to switching circuit 310A. With operating potentialstill applied to cathode 70] associated with the last cell 80A], theglow now transfers through slot 34 from the last cell 80A] in the firstrow to the last cell 80BJ in the second row. The glow is now transferredleftward from cell to cell along the second row of cells by switchingthe cathodes in the reverse order. In this way, by properly switchinganode and cathode potentials, glow is transferred from cell to cell andfrom row to row until it reaches the last cell in the last row, cell80JJ At this point, both cathode 70] and the cathode portion 701' areenergized by cathode drive 300C, but only cathode portion 70.! drawscurrent and, acting through proper associated control circuitry 350, itcauses the electrodes 60A and 70A as sociated with cell 80A'A to beenergized so that the cell 80AA' is turned on and the panel is ready foranother scanning cycle.

As noted above, as the cells 80 are scanned, information signals appliedto the associated display cells, if they are provided in the panel,cause these cells to glow and to provide a visual display of the inputinformation.

It is to be noted that each of the panels described may be sealed insidean envelope so that, with respect to the panel itself, only a mechanicalcoupling of the various plates and electrodes would be required, and theseal around the edges of the panel could be omitted.

It is to be understood that the copending applications mentioned aboveare incorporated herein by reference. These and other applications whichare useful in operating and making display panels are also incorporatedherein by reference, such applications including the following:

Application Ser. No. 764,983, filed Oct. 2, 1968,

which describes and claims a method and apparatus for introducingmercury into a display panel.

Application Ser. No. 850,841, filed Aug. 18, 1969 but abandoned in favorof application Ser. No. 8,773, filed Feb. 5, 1970, which describes andclaims an arrangement for enhancing light output from a display panel.

What is claimed is:

l. A display panel comprising an insulating plate including a pluralityof anode electrodes and a plurality of cathode electrodes oriented withthe anodes crossing the cathodes, with first gas-filled glow cellsdefined by each crossing of a pair of anode and cathode electrodes,

gas communication channels formed in said plate and interconnecting allof said glow cells in a series which defines a raster, and

an auxiliary cell for facilitating the start of a scanning operation andassociated with the first cell in the scanning series,

said auxiliary cell and said first cell in the scanning seriescomprising a single enlarged cell.

2. The panel defined in claim 1 wherein said single enlarged cell madeup of said auxiliary cell and said first cell in the scanning series hasassociated with it one of said anode electrodes and one of said cathodeelectrodes for operation thereof to start a scanning cycle, and anauxiliary anode associated with said single enlarged cell for operationwith said one of said cathode electrodes to fire said single cell justbefore the beginning of a scanning cycle.

3. A display panel including a gas-filled envelope consisting of a firstinsulating base plate and a second insulating cover plate,

means forming a plurality of gas-filled cells in said envelope, saidcells being arrayed in rows and columns,

an anode electrode and a glow cathode electrode associated with eachcell and a gas communication path in said base plate connecting all ofsaid cells in a series beginning with a first cell and ending with alast cell, said series forming a raster pattern,

said rows of cells including a first row, intermediate rows and a lastrow, and said gas communication path extending from the first cell inthe first row along said first row to the last cell therein and fromsaid last cell in said first row to the adjacent last cell in the secondrow of cells and from there to the first cell in the second row andthence to the adjacent first cell in the third row of cells, etc., untilit reaches the last cell in the last row of cells, and

an auxiliary cell for facilitating the start of a scanning operation andassociated with the first cell in the first row of said scanning series,

said auxiliary cell and said first cell being connected by a gascommunication channel and comprising a single enlarged cell.

4. The panel defined in claim 3 wherein said single enlarged cellcomprises said auxiliary cell and said first cell, said single enlargedcell having one of said anodes and one of said cathodes in operativerelation therewith and an auxiliary anode for operation with said one ofsaid cathodes.

5. A display panel including a first base plate having a top surface anda bottom surface and a top viewing plate sealed thereto in gas-tightengagement, said top plate having a top surface and a bottom surface,

means defining a plurality of gas-filled cells arrayed in rows andcolumns,

a gas communication path connecting all of said cells in a scanningseries which defines a raster beginning with the first cell in the firstrow and terminating with the last cell in the last row,

a first electrode alignedwith each column of cells,

a second electrode aligned with each row of cells,

the first of said first electrodes being aligned with the first columnof cells including said first cell insaid first row which comprises thefirst cell in said scanning series, said first of said first electrodesincluding a first portion which is associated with said cell and asecond portion associated with all of the other cells in said firstcolumn,

the last of said first electrodes being aligned with the last column ofcells including the last cell in said scanning series, said last of saidfirst electrodes including a first portion aligned with the last cell insaid last column and a second portion aligned with the remainder of thecells in said last column of cells.

6. The panel defined in claim 5 wherein said first cell in said scanningseries includes an auxiliary portion adapted to operate before ascanning cycle begins and which is adapted to insure the proper startingof said scanning series at said first cell.

7. The panel defined in claim 5 wherein said first cell in said scanningseries includes an auxiliary portion adapted to operate before ascanning cycle begins and which is adapted to insure the proper startingof said scanning series at said first cell and including auxiliaryelectrode means associated with said auxiliary portion of said firstcell.

8. The panel defined in claim 5 wherein said first cell in said scanningseries includes an auxiliary portion adapted to operate before ascanning cycle begins and which is adapted to insure the proper startingof said scanning series at said first cell and including an auxiliaryelectrode in operative relation with said auxiliary portion of saidfirst cell and said first portion of said first of said firstelectrodes.

9. The panel defined in claim 1 and including a second gas-filled glowcell associated with each of said first cells and in gas communicationtherewith, said second cells including electrode means for transferringglow from a selected first cell to the associated second cell.

10. The panel defined in claim 5 and including a second gas-filled glowcell associated with each of said first cells and in gas communicationtherewith, said second cells including electrode means for transferringglow from a selected first cell to the associated second cell.

11. A display panel including a first base plate having a top surfaceand a bottom surface and a top viewing plate sealed thereto in gas-tightengagement, said top plate having a top surface and a bottom surface,

means defining a plurality of gas-filled cells arrayed in rows andcolumns, there being a first column of cells, a last column of cells andintermediate columns of cells and there also being a first row of cells,a last row of cells and intermediate rows of cells,

a gas communication path in said base plate connecting all of said cellsin a scanning series which defines a raster beginning with the firstcell in the first row and terminating with the last cell in the lastrow,

said first cell in said first row of cells including an auxiliaryportion which comprises a starter cell for said first cell,

a cathode electrode aligned with each column of cells, the first cathodeelectrode aligned with the first column of cells including a firstportion in operative relation with said first cell and said auxiliaryportion and a second portion in operative relation with all of the othercells in said first column,

the last cathode electrode aligned with the last column of cellsincluding a first portion in operative relation with only the last cellin the scanning series and a second portion aligned with all of theother cells in the last column,

an anode electrode aligned with each row of cells,

and

an auxiliary anode electrode associated with said first portion of saidfirst cathode electrode and said auxiliary portion of said first cell.

12. The panel defined in claim 11 and including an auxiliary gas-filledglow cell associated with each of said first cells and in gascommunication therewith, said second cells including electrode means fortransferring glow from a selected first cell to the associated secondcell.

13. A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope including at leastan insulating base plate and a cover plate and, associated therewith, aplurality of anode electrodes and a plurality of cathode electrodesoriented so that the anodes lie at an angle with respect to the cathodesand each anode crosses each cathode, with gas-filled glow cells definedby each such crossing and the volume of gas between the crossedelectrodes, there being a plurality of rows and columns of said cellsformed by said electrodes, there being a first row, a last row andintermediate rows,

gas communication channels formed in said plate and interconnecting eachrow of cells to the row of cells adjacent to it with the last cell inthe first row coupled to the last cell in the adjacent second row andthe first cell in the adjacent second row coupled to the first cell inthe third row, such end-to-end coupling of said rows of cells being madethroughout said panel whereby all of the cells of the panel are coupledtogether in a continuous series beginning with the first cell in thefirst row and ending with the last cell in the last row whereby, whensuitable electrical potentials are applied to said anode and cathodeelectrodes, glow can be transferred from one cell to the next in eachrow successively throughout said panel, and

an auxiliary cell disposed close to said first cell in said first rowand coupled thereto by a gas communication channel, whereby saidauxiliary cell and said first cell comprise a single enlarged cell. saidauxiliary cell having an anode electrode associated with it in operativerelation with the cathode electrode

1. A display panel comprising an insulating plate including a pluralityof anode electrodes and a plurality of cathode electrodes oriented withthe anodes crossing the cathodes, with first gas-filled gLow cellsdefined by each crossing of a pair of anode and cathode electrodes, gascommunication channels formed in said plate and interconnecting all ofsaid glow cells in a series which defines a raster, and an auxiliarycell for facilitating the start of a scanning operation and associatedwith the first cell in the scanning series, said auxiliary cell and saidfirst cell in the scanning series comprising a single enlarged cell. 2.The panel defined in claim 1 wherein said single enlarged cell made upof said auxiliary cell and said first cell in the scanning series hasassociated with it one of said anode electrodes and one of said cathodeelectrodes for operation thereof to start a scanning cycle, and anauxiliary anode associated with said single enlarged cell for operationwith said one of said cathode electrodes to fire said single cell justbefore the beginning of a scanning cycle.
 3. A display panel including agas-filled envelope consisting of a first insulating base plate and asecond insulating cover plate, means forming a plurality of gas-filledcells in said envelope, said cells being arrayed in rows and columns, ananode electrode and a glow cathode electrode associated with each celland a gas communication path in said base plate connecting all of saidcells in a series beginning with a first cell and ending with a lastcell, said series forming a raster pattern, said rows of cells includinga first row, intermediate rows and a last row, and said gascommunication path extending from the first cell in the first row alongsaid first row to the last cell therein and from said last cell in saidfirst row to the adjacent last cell in the second row of cells and fromthere to the first cell in the second row and thence to the adjacentfirst cell in the third row of cells, etc., until it reaches the lastcell in the last row of cells, and an auxiliary cell for facilitatingthe start of a scanning operation and associated with the first cell inthe first row of said scanning series, said auxiliary cell and saidfirst cell being connected by a gas communication channel and comprisinga single enlarged cell.
 4. The panel defined in claim 3 wherein saidsingle enlarged cell comprises said auxiliary cell and said first cell,said single enlarged cell having one of said anodes and one of saidcathodes in operative relation therewith and an auxiliary anode foroperation with said one of said cathodes.
 5. A display panel including afirst base plate having a top surface and a bottom surface and a topviewing plate sealed thereto in gas-tight engagement, said top platehaving a top surface and a bottom surface, means defining a plurality ofgas-filled cells arrayed in rows and columns, a gas communication pathconnecting all of said cells in a scanning series which defines a rasterbeginning with the first cell in the first row and terminating with thelast cell in the last row, a first electrode aligned with each column ofcells, a second electrode aligned with each row of cells, the first ofsaid first electrodes being aligned with the first column of cellsincluding said first cell in said first row which comprises the firstcell in said scanning series, said first of said first electrodesincluding a first portion which is associated with said cell and asecond portion associated with all of the other cells in said firstcolumn, the last of said first electrodes being aligned with the lastcolumn of cells including the last cell in said scanning series, saidlast of said first electrodes including a first portion aligned with thelast cell in said last column and a second portion aligned with theremainder of the cells in said last column of cells.
 6. The paneldefined in claim 5 wherein said first cell in said scanning seriesincludes an auxiliary portion adapted to operate before a scanning cyclebegins and which is adapted to insure the proper starting of saidscanning serIes at said first cell.
 7. The panel defined in claim 5wherein said first cell in said scanning series includes an auxiliaryportion adapted to operate before a scanning cycle begins and which isadapted to insure the proper starting of said scanning series at saidfirst cell and including auxiliary electrode means associated with saidauxiliary portion of said first cell.
 8. The panel defined in claim 5wherein said first cell in said scanning series includes an auxiliaryportion adapted to operate before a scanning cycle begins and which isadapted to insure the proper starting of said scanning series at saidfirst cell and including an auxiliary electrode in operative relationwith said auxiliary portion of said first cell and said first portion ofsaid first of said first electrodes.
 9. The panel defined in claim 1 andincluding a second gas-filled glow cell associated with each of saidfirst cells and in gas communication therewith, said second cellsincluding electrode means for transferring glow from a selected firstcell to the associated second cell.
 10. The panel defined in claim 5 andincluding a second gas-filled glow cell associated with each of saidfirst cells and in gas communication therewith, said second cellsincluding electrode means for transferring glow from a selected firstcell to the associated second cell.
 11. A display panel including afirst base plate having a top surface and a bottom surface and a topviewing plate sealed thereto in gas-tight engagement, said top platehaving a top surface and a bottom surface, means defining a plurality ofgas-filled cells arrayed in rows and columns, there being a first columnof cells, a last column of cells and intermediate columns of cells andthere also being a first row of cells, a last row of cells andintermediate rows of cells, a gas communication path in said base plateconnecting all of said cells in a scanning series which defines a rasterbeginning with the first cell in the first row and terminating with thelast cell in the last row, said first cell in said first row of cellsincluding an auxiliary portion which comprises a starter cell for saidfirst cell, a cathode electrode aligned with each column of cells, thefirst cathode electrode aligned with the first column of cells includinga first portion in operative relation with said first cell and saidauxiliary portion and a second portion in operative relation with all ofthe other cells in said first column, the last cathode electrode alignedwith the last column of cells including a first portion in operativerelation with only the last cell in the scanning series and a secondportion aligned with all of the other cells in the last column, an anodeelectrode aligned with each row of cells, and an auxiliary anodeelectrode associated with said first portion of said first cathodeelectrode and said auxiliary portion of said first cell.
 12. The paneldefined in claim 11 and including an auxiliary gas-filled glow cellassociated with each of said first cells and in gas communicationtherewith, said second cells including electrode means for transferringglow from a selected first cell to the associated second cell.
 13. Adisplay panel comprising a gas-filled envelope including at least aninsulating base plate and a cover plate and, associated therewith, aplurality of anode electrodes and a plurality of cathode electrodesoriented so that the anodes lie at an angle with respect to the cathodesand each anode crosses each cathode, with gas-filled glow cells definedby each such crossing and the volume of gas between the crossedelectrodes, there being a plurality of rows and columns of said cellsformed by said electrodes, there being a first row, a last row andintermediate rows, gas communication channels formed in said plate andinterconnecting each row of cells to the row of cells adjacent to itwith the last cell in the first row coupled to the last cell in theadjacent second row and the first cell in the adjacent second rowcoupled to the first cell in the third row, such end-to-end coupling ofsaid rows of cells being made throughout said panel whereby all of thecells of the panel are coupled together in a continuous series beginningwith the first cell in the first row and ending with the last cell inthe last row whereby, when suitable electrical potentials are applied tosaid anode and cathode electrodes, glow can be transferred from one cellto the next in each row successively throughout said panel, and anauxiliary cell disposed close to said first cell in said first row andcoupled thereto by a gas communication channel, whereby said auxiliarycell and said first cell comprise a single enlarged cell. said auxiliarycell having an anode electrode associated with it in operative relationwith the cathode electrode associated with said first cell.